Arabians get such a bum rap

[Donna Campbell smith]

I was reading a post somewhere, where someone again made the "crazy Arabian" comment. So, I wrote a little piece on my hubpages in their defense. Of course, we who have Arabians know better, but I hope I can do a little something to dispell the myth for new horse people who don't know better.http://hubpages.com/_DCS/hub/Arabian-Horses-Are-Not-Crazy

I posted a few pictures of some of my Arabs with it.

[pony gal]

Not an arabian owner but I enjoyed reading your blog and looking at your pictures.
My favorite was the birthday gifts photo. Too cute! :)

[Donna Campbell smith]

Yes, I like it too. That is Nisha, my old mare's pasture mate. it looks like she's sipping the drink, but I think it was the camera angle.

[Becky (ridendurance)]

Hi Donna, Enjoyed the hub page and I agree Arabs do get a bad rap a lot of the time. My Arabian KA Clint was the sweetest horse and would do anything for you. He had more try in him than seemed possible. I had to really watch out for him when I distance rode. I believe he'd have jumped off a cliff for me if I had asked him. Horses like that don't come along very often. He was one in a million.

[Dixie]

It's so true that Arabians are misunderstood. I confess I was a little guilty of that myself once! I always thought they were absolutely gorgeous creatures, but had no real desire to own one. I've owned many horses over the years, mostly Quarter horses. Many years ago I purchased a 1/2 Arab 1/2 Quarter mare, who was somewhat unpredictable. I always used to joke that half the time she was good and half the time she was bad and attributed the bad side as her Arab half! Now I feel terribly guilty about that.

Then about 16 years ago I was giving riding lessons at a local stable and the lady there had a 4 y/o Arab gelding she was trying to sell. He was a very pretty rose gray with a black mane and tail and had been started very nicely as a western horse. Unfortunately he was loaned to someone who wanted to show him saddleseat and they put chains on his front feet and was using a twisted wire snaffle bit. When they posted the trot he flinched everytime their seat 'hit' the saddle. I cringed everytime I witnessed it. The poor boy was miserable. It was obvious to me he was not a bred for that. He was more suited to western, hunt seat or dressage. I asked to work with him and used my dressage saddle and eggbutt snaffle. We started with some groundwork and lungeing. I'll never forget the first time I settled onto his back and started to work on trying to let him know I would never do anything to hurt him.

The rest is history!!! We've been partners ever since! I've never had such a bond with any of my other horses. He seems to truly know what I'm thinking and loves to work or just hang out with me. I wouldn't take a million dollars for him. He's 20 years old and snow white now, but he doesn't look his age (or act it)! I just hope I have him for many more years. I wish everyone was as fortunate to have a horse like him.

Yes, I was converted! (But I still love my sweet old quarter horse too!)

[Donna Campbell smith]

Beautiful story! If my old mare is any indication he should be around a while more. She is 34 and going strong.

Now, you've given me another soapbox - saddleseat trainers. Why do they think they have to use all that junk. I ahve been in some SS barns whose tack rooms look like torture chambers. If you have the right horse, built to d othe job, it just is not needed. And there are trainers who get the job done without it and they win. Oh well, it isn't only saddleseat.

There just are some folks who depend on severe bits and other gimmicks, trying to save time or they are just not good trainers, in western, hunseat, any where in the industry. I think owners who want things done fast because they are paying by the month are partly to blame. I don't know.

[Dixie]

Yes Donna this is a soapbox I've been on since I was a kid. I've never understood why anyone had to torture a horse just to win a prize. But as an adult I saw that people get into horses for a lot of different reasons. Like almost everything else in life money and status is a strong motivator.

I actually started riding at age 12 with a saddlebred trainer on a lovely old pregnant saddlebred mare. She was such a sweetheart. One of my girlfriends had a saddlebred gelding and he was a great horse too. Our neighbors had saddlebreds in the pasture next to ours and they were wonderful. I just never understood the training methods used to show them. Most of them have enough natural pizzaz that I just couldn't understand why they just weren't shown more naturally? And yes, it's in every discipline in the industry. Fortunately the 'Natural Horsemanship' movement is growing and the future looks a little brighter for us and our equine partners.

[Jessie]

Yes, it is true!!! I had an Arabian mare and used to work at an Arabian horse farm and the Arabians are definitely stereotyped which is such a shame because I actually have found the Arabian stallions to be better behaved and a lot more gentle then some of the other breeds. Plus they are definitely better looking!! LOL!!
My little mare was an awesome jumper, but the girl who was riding her at the time had a trainer that wasn't thrilled with Arabians and put a stop to it. I am sure this happens often and it really is a shame!